July jobs graphic

The percent of total jobs related to the beer industry, 2010. Click on each state for industry breakdown.

More than 1.9%

1.5% to 1.9%

1.3% to 1.4%

1.1% to 1.2%

0.9% to 1.0%

Less than 0.9%

Illinois

1.3% of total jobs.

(71,981 jobs)

49 brewers

20,985 retailers

152 distributors

Notes: Job totals related to brewing include direct, indirect and induced jobs. Direct jobs are those people who are directly responsible for getting the beer to the consumer, such as brewers, distributors and retailers. Indirect jobs are the jobs related to the suppliers, like transportation or financial auditor jobs. Induced jobs are jobs created due to the economic output that occurs from beer activity. The percent of total jobs related to the beer industry is a Crain's calculation.

Sources: Beer Institute, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Tax revenue from beer consumption rose nearly 10 percent between 2009 and 2011 to about $61.4 million, spurred by a 2009 hike that increased the state's excise tax from 18 cents per gallon to the current 23 cents per gallon. This, coupled with a 1999 increase from just seven cents per gallon accounts for a tax rate increase that is the 2nd in the nation. Only Alaska has raised rates more, and most states haven't raised the excise tax at all. The current rate is below the national average of 26.7 cents, but it ranks among the highest rates in the Midwest. Illinois neighbors Indiana (12 cents), Wisconsin (6 cents) and Missouri (6 cents) all draw at far lower rates.

The higher taxes don't seem to have hurt beer consumption, at least not when compared to the rest of the nation. Per capita consumption dropped from 32 gallons per person 21 years of age or older to 28.9 between 2003 and 2011. Those figures closely mirror the nationwide decline from 32.2 to 28.3. The statewide rank only dropped five places to 28 during that period.

These changes could have an impact on an industry that employs –directly or indirectly -- 71,000 resident comprising roughly 1.7 percent of all jobs in Illinois. That proportion ranks in the middle of the pack both nationwide and among neighboring states. All together, the beer industry yields more than $2.8 billion in wages and more than $8.2 billion in economic output according to the Beer Institutes' 2010 economic impact study.

3.2 percent of jobs are tied to the beer industry in Missouri, the home of Anheuser-Busch InBev and 52 other breweries, while Wisconsin boasts 73 breweries and 1.9 percent of all jobs in the state tied to beer.

About 60 percent of Illinois' beer industry jobs come from "direct" sources such as breweries — of which Illinois has 49, the 11th most nationwide — distributors, retailers and bars.

Other beer industry jobs include financial services, transportation and agriculture labor related to suppliers as well as various jobs "induced by beer activity," such as travel, entertainment and real estate.